Lunar Bay Festival ready to go for this weekend

BRYNA ZUMER, bzumer@theaegis.com

The "Ladies of Locust" present their first-ever music and arts extravaganza in Havre de Grace, as the Lunar Bay Festival is getting ready to go Saturday and Sunday at Steppingstone Museum in Susquehanna State Park.

Organizers said earlier this week that ticket sales have been strong and everything is lined up for the event.

The women behind the weekend – Genevieve Britton, Kelley Duncan and Margie Coakley – plan to cap ticket sales at 10,000, with 6,000 people on Saturday and 4,000 on Sunday.

The trio wouldn't say Tuesday precisely how many tickets have been presold but said they are close to their goal, sales have been strong and tickets are still available for both days. Tickets cost $55 for Sunday only, $65 for Saturday only or $75 for both days. A VIP two-day ticket will be $95, and children can come for $45 for two days or $25 per day. All tickets can be bought online via Ticketfly.

The music and arts festival will feature 48 bands on the grounds of Steppingstone Museum in Havre de Grace, the ladies' hometown. (Their moniker of "Ladies of Locust" comes from the street where they live.)

Duncan said they are still partnering with churches on Earlton Road and using buses to take people from there to the festival site. The buses will run with the help of volunteers, she said. She also said vendors are committed and food is ready to go.

"They are all on board. We have had a lot of positive feedback with online media and print media," Duncan said.

The event will include six food trucks, Britton said, as well as food from Coakley's Pub and Backfin Blues Bar & Grill and two other vendors.

Besides the food vendors, 41 artistic vendors are expected to be at the festival.

Duncan encourages attendees to buy tickets online instead of waiting to get them at the festival.

About the festival, she said: "We want to bring it to our community and keep it something that is seen as a positive thing for the community."

The headliner for the festival is moe., a jam band from Buffalo that became popular in the 1990s and will perform Saturday. Other performers include bluegrass and folk acts such as Keller Williams and the Country Devils.

The festival will run from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday.

Britton said she expects a great weekend with fun to be had by all.

"We have pretty good weather on our side, which is wonderful," Britton said. "It's a lot of work but the progress is going very well and all the vendors are in line"

"I am very excited for the inaugural year of Lunar Bay," she added. "It's been a really great adventure and I am excited that people are coming."

"With three women, we've had a lot of time to organize," Coakley, who is a part owner of Coakley's Pub, added.

"I think there's a lot of special touches that people are going to be impressed by," Coakley said, noting there will be candles and decorations, as well as a view of the water and Conowingo Dam.

Parking will cost $15 onsite each day. Coakley pointed out the churches will be making money from the event as well, as the shuttles are not directly organized by Lunar Bay.

More information can be found online at http://www.lunarbayfestival.com.